Wulfgard: Echoes of the Mage-Emperor is a story that focuses upon the right man in the wrong place, the ordinary guy and bookworm Zacynthos "Zac" Arcadian, who has a fateful encounter with the ancient and infamous Mage-Emperor Ildrius. The change in his life leads him to become involved in unusual adventures, often with the aid of some newfound and unlikely allies in the court of the Imperial city of Artorius.

Synopsis

Centuries ago, the Achaean Empire was ruled with an iron fist by a man named Ildrius, the Mage-Emperor. He imprisoned innocent men and women, enslaving some for hard labor and subjecting others to cruel and twisted experiments. In some regions, the very land became tainted by dark magic wielded by he and his underlings, the Mage-Lords who enforced his rule. Life for the citizens of Achaea was a nightmare. Many felt the gods had abandoned the world, giving way to the whim of a new deity: one who sat atop a throne in the form of a mortal, but wielded all the powers of a god.

The Empire reached a new height of power, but at a terrible price. The magi were untouchable; no one could stand against the power of magic. One sorcerer, well trained and experienced in his art, could crush entire armies at a whim. Rebellions sprung up across the kingdoms, but all were quelled with seemingly a mere flick of a Mage-Lord's wrist.

But the time came that one common man cast down that ruler - when an ordinary mundane peasant defeated one of the most powerful and dreaded figures in the history of all the Achaean Empire. The man who came to be called Sir Durand, the First Inquisitor, raised an army and ended the reign of the Mage-Emperor Ildrius. After Ildrius's fall, the Empire was restored to a new era of peace - a time of rebuilding, as the Achaeans tried to reclaim the glory lost in the swath of terror created by the Mage-Emperor. His cruelty remains unforgotten - and unforgiven.

Emperor Ildrius died in the war. They say he was killed by Durand himself, and never again would his evil plague the mortal realm. They say his body burned to ash, and his soul now rests in Hades, tormented for the rest of eternity by demons of Tyranny.

They say a lot of things.

In the city of Artorius, life goes on as it seemingly always has. There are chores to be done, taxes to be paid, crops to be harvested, armies to be trained... and books to be copied. The Empire has existed for many years now under the peaceful reign of Emperor Doraius I. It is this peace that one simple clerk has grown up his entire life knowing. Not that, deep in the halls of Artorius's royal castle, it makes much difference to him who rules the Empire at large. He has a simple job, and as long as King Rickard Artorius I maintains the throne of the kingdom, it does not involve as much politics as one might imagine. In fact, it doesn't involve much of anything other than reading and copying books and scrolls, but at least that makes him more educated than most, even if it keeps him a little cut off from the rest of the world - or so people tell him.

But something is about to happen that will change his life, and potentially alter the fate of the entire Achaean Empire. For, hidden deep beneath Artorius, are secrets of a much older time, of the darkest era in the history of the Empire - secrets that, as fate would have it, are stumbled upon by the unlucky clerk. Some secrets, especially those involving the blackest magic arts, are best left buried. But they seldom stay that way...

Please be sure to keep all potential spoilers in spoiler tags. See this blog post for details regarding the story and its update schedule. And, if you signed up, be sure to keep an eye out for your character(s)!

All celebrations aside, it's time for glowing feedback and rushed speculation/theorizations, with clarifying questions, to boot!

The wait is over, and I haven't been this happy to be awash in exposition in a long time. Given Errant's ongoing events in Artorius and recent interactions with our new protagonist, I was already quite excited about this story, and was not disappointed in the slightest. The companion article about Arcadia was also quite interesting, and I'm looking forward to seeing how all these background tidbits fit into the wider narrative.

I haven't studied all the other character signups in detail, so I don't know which of the recent additions are your own creation or one of the promised "guest-stars." Is the berserker you mentioned one of the latter? I liked learning about them in Joergen's short story, and having one play an important role here would be quite interesting.

Spoiler

At the end of this chapter, I noticed that you had Zac read "vide arcanum" aloud. Given the power those words can hold for someone with the Condition (see "Wulfgard: Potential Energy"), I wonder if it will affect the page he previously saw to be blank? Though if Zac is as old as I think he is, if he did actually have magic, he would probably have noticed by now.

Speaking of Zac (flowing straight from the spoilered text), you mentioned he recognizes not just Common and Old Achaean/High Imperial, but some Nordic and even Southron languages, too? Man, how long has he been studying, or is he just that good?

Well, I definitely agree that this was worth the wait, even if it doesn't seem like any of the community character have shown up yet. None of them are blatantly berserkers, ex or otherwise, so unless the rumors are just a little exaggerated...

I do agree with Cap that having a berserk take a main roll would be interesting.

Spoiler

I suppose Zac's gonna need a bodyguard, being in possession of that definitely not arcane-in-the-slightest book that's going to get him some unwanted attention, I imagine

Also, Cappy, all things considered, I think we know who Zac's based on and just how far-reaching his knowledge of languages could reach

You know, I was thinking about making Jorgen's story the next one I make into a Wulfgard Comic, but depending on how this story goes, I may do this one instead.

The opening is the best bit so far, and I'm tied on weather or not that guy who busted up the ceremony was either Slyvanus or Ildrius himself. It's most likely Slyvanus, but it would be cool if Ildrius showed up and was like " 'Sup guys: You don't need to summon me cause I'm already here."

I'm wondering if that Grimoire that Chuck Zac found is the Faustus Tome, or if its a different one.

You know, I honestly didn't think that this was taking place in Artorius until I actually read this story. The signs were there, but I was too busy making Katrina's sign-up sheet for the short story to pay attention.

The thing I'm waiting for the most is to see how community characters who visit the city again in Chasing Shadows handle being here the first time, since I thought that the first time that Katrina even saw Artorius and met Zac was in Chasing Shadows and not in this story.

Well, I definitely agree that this was worth the wait, even if it doesn't seem like any of the community character have shown up yet. None of them are blatantly berserkers, ex or otherwise, so unless the rumors are just a little exaggerated...

I do agree with Cap that having a berserk take a main roll would be interesting.

Spoiler

I suppose Zac's gonna need a bodyguard, being in possession of that definitely not arcane-in-the-slightest book that's going to get him some unwanted attention, I imagine

Also, Cappy, all things considered, I think we know who Zac's based on and just how far-reaching his knowledge of languages could reach

Thank you! And yeah, I'm sure the guest stars will come in later and at different times.

Spoiler

Oh man, that'll be cool! Except for the possible mortal danger, that's only fun for those watching, lol.

Well, true, but those linguistic abilities don't come into play until a later season. Plus other cool stuff that I can't spoil here. Though if Zac suddenly "looks like he's seen something really bright and tasted something really sour," I will most likely cackle in delight.

Spoiler

The opening is the best bit so far, and I'm tied on weather or not that guy who busted up the ceremony was either Slyvanus or Ildrius himself. It's most likely Slyvanus, but it would be cool if Ildrius showed up and was like " 'Sup guys: You don't need to summon me cause I'm already here."

I'm wondering if that Grimoire that Chuck Zac found is the Faustus Tome, or if its a different one.

You know, I honestly didn't think that this was taking place in Artorius until I actually read this story. The signs were there, but I was too busy making Katrina's sign-up sheet for the short story to pay attention.

The thing I'm waiting for the most is to see how community characters who visit the city again in Chasing Shadows handle being here the first time, since I thought that the first time that Katrina even saw Artorius and met Zac was in Chasing Shadows and not in this story.

Spoiler

The latter makes sense, though it seems a bit too easy. Plus, why would the mage-emperor reborn kill the lackeys trying to bring him back instead of telling them, "I'll save you some work, now get cracking on my evil plans"?

It could be, though keep in mind that while Wolfy has stated that Echoes is official canon, Errant is explicitly not. Any similarities may be conjecture or coincidence...or are they? *waves hands spookily*

Like I said in the spoilered text, the RP is NOT CANON. Wolfy has said from the beginning that it wouldn't be, so that all the playing she does and that we do with our own characters won't conflict with the narratives she's already set. From the perspective of Zac and Echoes, as a whole, unless our characters already knew Zac or have been to Artorius sometime in their backstories, they won't remember the events of Errant because they never experienced them, and they won't remember Zac if they haven't met him yet.

TLDR: Wolfy has made two Wulfgard canons: Official and Role-playing. Echoes is Official, Errant is Role-Playing. The two use similar elements and characters, but are completely separate.

Thanks for the comments, everyone! I appreciate them deeply. Chapter 2 will be posted early next week!

I haven't studied all the other character signups in detail, so I don't know which of the recent additions are your own creation or one of the promised "guest-stars." Is the berserker you mentioned one of the latter? I liked learning about them in Joergen's short story, and having one play an important role here would be quite interesting.

Speaking of Zac (flowing straight from the spoilered text), you mentioned he recognizes not just Common and Old Achaean/High Imperial, but some Nordic and even Southron languages, too? Man, how long has he been studying, or is he just that good?

The berserker is one of my characters, not a sign-up. As for whether he has an important role, well... you'll find out in the coming weeks.

The thing I'm waiting for the most is to see how community characters who visit the city again in Chasing Shadows handle being here the first time, since I thought that the first time that Katrina even saw Artorius and met Zac was in Chasing Shadows and not in this story.

As mentioned in nearly all of the Errant OOC topics, Errant is a separate Wulfgard canon. What happens in Errant stays in Errant, essentially. Official Wulfgard stories operate on the primary Wulfgard canon (Knightfall, Into the North, Tales of Wulfgard, Echoes, etc.), and none of the events in Errant affect it.

Alright, where do I begin? As excited as I am about a certain character cameo (or, well, more than one, really), there are still many, many things to discuss in the actual story.

Spoiler

First of all, Eustace talked rather disparagingly toward the Imperial officials as a whole, but seemed particularly disinclined toward the Inquisitors. That, plus his insistence on Zac working in the catacombs over all his other tasks, makes me wonder if he wanted our poor protagonist to stumble onto the hidden stone. Granted, if everyone's least favorite castle supervisor was involved in some grand conspiracy involving said stone that seems to have possessed Zac, he probably intended for the scribe to just dig it up, not absorb whatever was in it, but what can you do? Evil plans and all that.

Also, while we're safe in the Spoiler Zone, I greatly enjoyed the further parallels to Chuck and the Intersect, from the loss of motor control to the loss of consciousness. Granted, this is a magical element of unknown nature and origin instead of a US Government supercomputer, but I'm still excited to see what effects it has on poor Zac, positive AND negative! Anywho, I actually felt chills as you described the horrors he went through upon touching the stone, and part of me is afraid to find out exactly what has happened to him. (The rest of me, naturally, is fanboying ecstatically and had to be tied to his seat to stop bouncing with glee)

Also, while we're safe in the Spoiler Zone, I greatly enjoyed the further parallels to Chuck and the Intersect, from the loss of motor control to the loss of consciousness. Granted, this is a magical element of unknown nature and origin instead of a US Government supercomputer, but I'm still excited to see what effects it has on poor Zac, positive AND negative!)

Spoiler

Wait, that's the premise of Chuck? That legitimately sounds interesting. Maybe I'll start watching that at some point.

But if we're talking about interesting stuff, what about the vandilized grave? Is it Ildrius' grave, or the grave of one of his supporters?

That interests me more.

That, and Chuck Chris being potentially possessed by the spirit of Ildrius.

Wait, that's the premise of Chuck? That legitimately sounds interesting. Maybe I'll start watching that at some point.

But if we're talking about interesting stuff, what about the vandilized grave? Is it Ildrius' grave, or the grave of one of his supporters?

That interests me more.

That, and Chuck Chris being potentially possessed by the spirit of Ildrius.

Spoiler

Essentially, yes, though it gets much deeper than that. Wolfy got me hooked on that show earlier this year, and I'm sure you'll find it more than worth your time, assuming you like spy thrillers mixed with wacky, endearing humor.

You're really fixated on Ildrius, aren't you? I'd bank on a supporter, something tells me lackeys like the Hidden would want to give their precious mage-emperor a more elaborate tomb, assuming his body was even recoverable after the battle. It probably got stomped on at least a little by the people of the Empire he enslaved, tortured, and oppressed for his own selfish ends.

It's ZAC, silly. Short for Zacynthos, both of which have been written numerous times in the two chapters we've seen. Chris is the actor in your current avatar. A good actor, but a completely separate person and very different name.

You're really fixated on Ildrius, aren't you? I'd bank on a supporter, something tells me lackeys like the Hidden would want to give their precious mage-emperor a more elaborate tomb, assuming his body was even recoverable after the battle. It probably got stomped on at least a little by the people of the Empire he enslaved, tortured, and oppressed for his own selfish ends.

It's ZAC, silly. Short for Zacynthos, both of which have been written numerous times in the two chapters we've seen. Chris is the actor in your current avatar. A good actor, but a completely separate person and very different name.

Spoiler

Yes, I am. I'm potentially thinking about collaberating with Wolfy and Scorp to make either a comic or short story about his past.

Oh, sorry about that. Wolfy's references to her Husbandos in Wulfgard get me confused sometimes.

Masterfully done! Zac has definitely stumbled into (quite literally, if we're not being too picky about definitions) a world of magic and fear that no book could prepare him for.

Spoiler

Also, it appears the speculations were correct about a certain presence within a certain stone. It figures the Mage-Emperor would have backup plans to keep his power, though I'm curious: if his followers were able to make such effort to prepare and hide his soulstones, why has it taken them so long to find them? Lack of communication between what would later become the cells of the Hidden? Ildrius only entrusting these secrets to a precious few? Or the efficiency of your friendly neighborhood Inquisitors keeping his disciples from moving freely? I suppose we'll find out eventually.

Speaking of Ildrius, I wonder if he's able to exert any direct control over Zac? On the one hand, if he was he'd probably have already done so, on the other, it's possible he needs to build a stronger connection over time, have more opportunities to influence the poor scribe's mind. Magic mind-melds are weird, and also heresy, hence why the Imperial Inquisition strongly advises against it. Be sure to ask your priest or physician if swelling, discomfort, or otherworldly voices last more than a fortnight. XD Sorry, I was going somewhere with this.

Well, at any rate, it's cool to see Vae Victis again, and she's probably more than frustrated to see someone got to the soulstone first. The berserker who stole the tome from Zac didn't seem to be with the Hidden, though. I wonder what his motive is? I can't discern a motive outright for him to have the tome for himself, so he probably works for someone else. But who? And if he's not really a northman, who is he and how did he become a berserker? *sigh*, all in good time, I suppose.

Sorry about the lack of updates to this lately, guys. I'm planning to do some fairly heavy revisions (mostly character-related, and related to character[s] that haven't actually been introduced yet but were due for proper introductions in the next chapter) next week, and then resume posting as usual. This may include some edits to the last chapter that was posted, but they would be relatively minor, and I'll post about that if I decide to do it.

I must announce at this point that Echoes is undergoing some relatively major revisions. I had a great deal written even beyond Chapter 3, but I’ve become unsatisfied with some of it, and I’m going to be heavily revising it in the weeks to come. This may take some time, especially with my busy schedule. I’ll be revising all the new and unreleased material, and I may also go back and make some changes to some of the chapters currently available on the site. More updates on this in the future.

Good news, though - expect an update really soon! I'm graduating next month, and classes end for me in a little over a week. I have much more writing of Echoes prepared that I've been working on off and on for over a year now, and I'm nearly done making some revisions that I mentioned earlier. Plus, the next update will come with some cover artwork by Scorp!

Thanks for bearing with me as I graduate, and be sure to keep an eye out in the coming weeks.